Strength: The sequel
by Wingsfan
Summary: Picks up where "Strength" left off


Disclaimer: Again, I do not own any of the characters, brands name and such. I only own my active imagination, and a whole lot of free time.   
  
* Indicates emphasis on the word(s).  
  
' ' Indicates thought. I decided to add it in to avoid confusion.  
  
Review is much appreciated.  
  
Hope everyone enjoyed "Strength". This is the sequel. Some yelled at me for ending it too soon, so here goes.  
  
__________________________________________________________________________________  
  
"Where are you now?" The detective asked.  
  
"I'm back in NYC." Alex's voice wavered slightly. She couldn't stop thinking of the brunette the whole time she was in the Witness Protection Program and the sultry voice that had accompanied her in many of her lonely nights. "It seems that the threat is longer valid. Velez's whole clan was wiped out in a turf war."  
  
The silence between them was profound. Neither knew what to say to the other. Olivia's mind was racing a mile a minute. She had dreamt of this day to come for so long that she had to pinch herself for a reality check. Finally, Alex summoned up the courage to speak up.  
  
"I, uh, was at your apartment just now. Didn't see any lights on so I figured you were still at work." Before Olivia could say anything, she continued. "Did I call at a bad time?"  
  
"Honey, you can never call at a bad time." Alex felt her heart melt at the endearment. "I'm on my way home. Do you have a place to stay?"  
  
Alex moved away from the man next to her in the driver's seat. She saw no reason to broadcast her intimate moments to the federal agent. "I, uh, was hoping I could bunk with you. The feds wanted to put me up in a hotel, but you know how I feel about beds."  
  
Images of Alex fidgeting on a bed made Olivia laugh. The ADA was never a big fan of new mattresses, let alone ones where thousands had slept on it before her. Being able to listen to Olivia's laugh brought new tears to Alex's eyes once again. She never knew how much she missed the brunette until a week after they were separated. She was reading a column about jogging habits and instantly her mind went to Olivia. Tears welled up while she was reading the column and by the time she had finished, her tears had soaked the paper in her shaking hands.  
  
"So I take that as a yes then, Detective?" Alex didn't know how much had changed since she left. She was too afraid to think of the other possibilities. She considered the possibility that Olivia had moved on, that she had someone else in her life. But she forced herself to hang on to Olivia's parting words for her. "I'll wait for you." It was the one thing that kept her going throughout the past two years.   
  
"Yes, Counselor. The answer will always be yes." Olivia drove a little faster, anxious to see the blonde again. "I'll be home in five." With that she hung up the phone and headed home. She couldn't control the tears and the gentle shiver that ran through her body. 'Alex's back. She's safe. That's all that matters now.' Olivia had been praying for this moment every night for the past two years. She jumped when the phone rang again.  
  
"Feeling a little clingy aren't we, Counselor?" Olivia smiled. She pulled up to the familiar parking spot and switched off the car engine.  
  
"Well this is certainly a change from earlier." The voice on the other end was unexpected.  
  
"Casey." The brunette's voice sounded a little disappointed.   
  
"Liv? What's wrong?" Casey was already driving to Olivia's apartment when Olivia answered her.  
  
"It's nothing. I'm just a little tired, that's all." 'And Alex's back.' Olivia couldn't stop thinking of the blonde waiting for her. But she couldn't bring herself to break the news to Casey just yet. 'I need more time.'  
  
"Really? You still at the station or are you at home?" Something was missing in Olivia's voice. It was as though she wasn't there at all.  
  
"I'm on my way home. I think I'll crash in tonight," Olivia couldn't help but added. "Um, thanks for the rose, Casey. You didn't have to do that, you know."   
  
Casey couldn't help but notice the distance ringing in Olivia's voice. "You're welcome. And why shouldn't I send you flowers?"  
  
"I just meant...you know..." Olivia stammered to find the words. "Ah forget about it. Thank you. It was lovely."  
  
"Go get some rest Liv. Give me a call tomorrow, ok?" The words came out even before Casey realized it. "I...I love you."  
  
Olivia froze. She only said it to Alex once, but hearing it said to her was different. She hadn't expected the redhead to declare her love so soon. Then again, Casey had been very forthcoming about her feelings. It was Olivia who was the one that held back.   
  
"G'night." Olivia hung up the phone as fast as she could. She didn't want to deal with the consequences that came with the declaration of love. She chose to focus instead on the comfortingly familiar outline of the person standing not too far away from her building.  
  
"Liv!" Alex was too happy to see the detective that she didn't care if there was a stampede going through them. She half ran towards the detective, hugging her tightly, her arms exploring every part of the brunette's well-toned back. 'God I missed that shoulder.'  
  
Olivia didn't trust herself to speak. She was choked with tears. She pulled back slightly to take a good look at the other woman. Everything looks the same, except maybe a few wrinkles around her eyes. 'Poor girl must've been crying every night.'  
  
"I'm so glad you're home, Alex." As if one cue, both women leaned in closer, their lips locking instantly. The contact was soft and gentle, unlike the hungry kisses they shared in bed. "I've missed that."  
  
"Is that the only thing that you've missed about me?" Olivia teased while guiding the both of them to her building. Her arm came around Alex's waist while the other woman rested her head on Olivia's shoulders. It didn't matter how tired she was, or how much tears she shed. All that mattered was that Alex was back safely and she could hold her in her arms once again.  
  
Across the street, a pair of brown eyes watched the exchange between the two women. Casey watched Olivia hug the strikingly tall blonde. The instant she had seen her, Casey had recognized her. It was Alex Cabot. She felt her heart plunging into a bottomless pit. 'No wonder she seemed distant when I called her earlier.' Thoughts ran through her mind, but Casey was clouded with anger, then hurt. 'Why didn't she tell me?' She knew in that instant she had lost Olivia. Casey slowly made her way to her car, parked not too far away from Olivia's apartment. She turned back to look at the pair one more time before she climbed in and drove off.  
  
Out of the corner of her eye, Olivia saw a familiar SUV driving away. She recognized it immediately. It was Casey's . The detective was worried. She stood and stared at the blank space that once occupied Casey's car. Olivia knew she had hurt the young ADA. Alex was saying something when she realized the other woman was not beside her.  
  
"Liv? Something wrong?" Alex's voice snapped Olivia back to reality.  
  
"No, everything's fine. I thought I saw a friend drive by, that's all."  
  
"Someone I know?" Alex asked.  
  
"Um, yeah. The new ADA, Casey Novak." Instantly Alex caught on to what Olivia wasn't saying. Warning signs rose up in her mind.   
  
"Am I to assume that you're involved with her?" Alex was curious. She had been gone too long. She needed to know if the one thing that she held on to while she was away was worth the wait.  
  
"Can we do this inside?" Olivia didn't feel the need to inform the neighbors about her affairs with the Manhattan ADAs.   
  
As soon as both women got inside the apartment Olivia headed to the kitchen. She came back moments later with two glasses of wine in hand.  
  
"Thanks." Alex accepted the drink, mildly surprised that the brunette still remembered her preference for red wines. "So?"  
  
Alex sat there quietly while Olivia told her story. It was strange, even though she had mentally prepared herself to hear from Olivia that she was with someone else, it still hurt to actually hear the words. Alex tried to keep her face neutral. She knew the guilt must've been eating away the detective. Still it didn't quell the unsettling feeling in her.  
  
"...and here we are." Olivia noticed the distant look on the blonde's face. "Alex?"  
  
"Huh, Liv? Sorry. Go ahead." Alex could barely control her thoughts. She had a hard time stomaching the fact that Olivia had spent more than one night with another woman in her arms. The arms that had held her when she had a rough day at work, the arms that had coaxed moans of pleasure out of her.  
  
"Let's not do this, Alex." Olivia felt dirty, as though she had cheated. She massaged her forehead gently, trying to rub away the fatigue that was slowly overtaking her.  
  
"I wanna know, Liv. I wanna know everything that happened ever since I left," Alex didn't miss a beat. "I wanna know who this Casey is and how she managed to get to you in such a short time when it took me forever!"  
  
Olivia cocked her eyebrow, trying to feign hurt in her voice. "Are you insinuating that I'm easy, Counselor?"  
  
"Oh no, Detective. You're anything but easy." Alex said in a low, sultry voice. She moved closer to Olivia, her lips gently brushing the detective's cheek before their mouths met. The kiss reminded Alex of her first encounter with the headstrong detective. How Olivia captured her attention by just being in the same room as her.  
  
______________  
  
When Olivia woke up the next morning, she was all alone. 'Was that just a dream?' She sat up on the bed, her hand hoovering over the side where she thought Alex was. 'I think I need to talk to Huang. Again.' Olivia let out a sigh and headed to the kitchen. 'It's gonna be a long day.'   
  
And there she was, the object of many of her dreams. Alex was sitting on the couch reading the New York Times while sipping her coffee as though nothing had happened. Olivia leaned against the wall, trying to take in the sight of the other woman. The morning rays penetrated the living room, and the view was simply breathtaking. For a moment there Olivia thought the blonde looked like an angel. Her heart melted at the sight. Walking silently towards the couch, Olivia drapped her arms around Alex's shoulders from behind and planted a quick kiss on her soft cheek.  
  
"Good morning to you too." Alex chimed at the forgotten morning ritual. She loved the feeling of the brunette's lips after she had just woken up. Something about Olivia's morning kiss always made her smile.  
  
"Anything pressing in the papers today, honey?" Olivia's fingers gently caressed the blonde's shoulders, her lips following closely behind. They have been apart too long, and every moment is golden to them.  
  
"Keep doing that and the pressing matters will be in your bedroom." Alex could hardly concentrate. All her senses were focused on Olivia's wandering fingers. She was enjoying the feel of Olivia's touch when the phone rang. However, the detective seemed unfazed about the annoying sound. "Are you going to get that?"  
  
Olivia barely lift her lips away from Alex's collarbone. "Let the machine get it. I'm busy right now."  
  
The blonde couldn't help but let out a chuckle. She heard Elliot's voice, and she slowly move away. "I think you better get that."  
  
Stifling a curse, Olivia finally got up to answer the phone.  
  
"This better be important, Elliot." Her partner didn't miss the threat in her voice.   
  
"Bad timing?" Elliot sounded surprised. She usually wasn't that grumpy when he had woken her up with a phone call. 'Company?' He made a mental note to drill her later.  
  
"What's up?" Olivia was blushing. From her partner's tone she knows he could sense something was different.  
  
"Kathy wanted me to invite you over for dinner tonight. She's making her specialty."  
  
Olivia smiled when she felt a pair of arms come around her waist. She leaned back slightly to kiss the blonde as Elliot continued talking.  
  
"I'll get back to you later, El. Say hi to Kathy and the kids for me." Olivia hung up the phone and turned around to face Alex.  
  
"So what's the plan for today, Counselor? You wanna stay in or do you feel a little adventurous?"  
  
Alex cocked her eyebrow at the suggestion. "Adventurous?"  
  
"Dinner at the Stabler residence." Olivia chuckled at Alex's reaction. "Kathy's cooking her specialty tonight. Tagliolini with Crab Ragu. Just thinking about it makes me hungry. So, feel like making an entrance?"  
  
When she first met both detectives, Alex could tell the two had something special going on. At one point she was even jealous that Elliot got to spend so much time with the woman that had captured her heart the first time they met. She wondered briefly if they both were involved, then laughed herself silly when she witnessed the camaraderie between the Stabler family and Olivia. 'Someday she's going to be a great mom.'  
  
"Just as long as it doesn't involve me cooking." Olivia burst out laughing as soon at Alex's remark. "You're never gonna let that go, do you? It was an accident! I was on the phone with you!"  
  
Alex couldn't help but chuckle. Olivia's laugh was contagious. She had left a pot of pasta on the stove when a phone call from the detective tore her away from the kitchen. When she remembered about the food, however, it was too late. The pot was burned, and she had to order out instead.  
  
"Just this once, Alex. Just this once." Olivia's breathing became normal again. "So what do you say?"  
  
"Why not. I can always use some good home-cooked food."  
  
Olivia smiled at the blonde. They spent the rest of the day just lazing around the apartment while Olivia updated her on the affiars of the squad. Even though Cesar Velez and his clan had been wiped out, Alex still could not appear in public just yet for fear that there might still be some of his cronies out there to get her. After lunch, Olivia called Elliot to tell him that she'll be bringing a friend over. He sounded worried, even though Olivia assured him that it was nothing to worry about.  
  
It took both women an hour to get ready, and by 7 p.m. they were already leaving Olivia's apartment. The drive to Queens was an exceptionally fast one as there was little traffic on the road. Olivia got out of the car and did a 360 degrees survey to make sure everything was okay before Alex got out of the car.  
  
"You really don't have to do that, you know." Alex said to the detective as they walked up to the door.  
  
"What? Oh it's not that Alex. Occupational hazard." Olivia knocked on the hardwood door. She could tell Alex was getting uneasy. "Ready?"  
  
Elliot's eldest daughter opened the door and instantly yelled out Olivia's arrival to the rest of the house. Elliot's jaw dropped when he saw the familiar blonde standing at the hallway.  
  
"What the? Alex?" He was dumbfounded, not even realizing when his wife sidled up to stand next to him.  
  
"Glad you could make it, Liv." Kathy said politely. Knowing that her husband worked so closely with a beauty like Olivia gave her sleepless nights when they just started out as partners. Now though, she was glad Elliot had someone to watch his back. She shifted her attention instead on the blonde standing next to the female detective. "Hi, I'm Elliot's wife Kathy. You are?"  
  
"Alex. Alex Cabot." She shook Kathy's hand.  
  
"Where have I heard your name before? Are you with the squad as well?" Kathy swore she had seen the blonde's picture somewhere. Then it registered in her head. 'The dead ADA.' As if reading Kathy's mind, Alex answered.  
  
"I was in Witness Protection Program. But now I'm back." Alex offered a smile. There was an eerie silence in the room before one of the twins' shrieks pierced throughout the whole house.  
  
"Livia!" Lizzie ran towards the female detective. She would always pester her dad to bring her to go visit Olivia., even though her mom did not like the idea. But Olivia was a good influence to the kid, and slowly Kathy had come to understand that.  
  
Olivia bent down to carry the little girl. They both laughed at the same time when Olivia whispered something in the girl's ear. She ran towards her siblings, and they were all instantly huddled together in the middle of the living room talking in low whispers.  
  
"Man I should get you to babysit my kids." Elliot said while they all sat down in the living room. "Look at them, Kath. I can hear myself talk in here."  
  
All four laughed at Elliot's remark. Kathy went back to tend to the pasta and Alex followed her to the kitchen. Both detectives sat in silence until Elliot spoke up.  
  
"So, you gonna tell me what's going on, Liv? One moment you're squaring off with Novak in the observation room and the next moment you show up with Alex. Am I missing something here?"  
  
Olivia knew she could trust her partner. She took a deep breath and told him the story, starting from that night at Casey's apartment six months ago. When she finished her story, the frown lines on Elliot's forehead were beginning to multiply.  
  
"Wow." Elliot's response lead to a chuckle from Olivia.  
  
"Yeah. That just about sums it up."   
  
"So what are you gonna do about Novak?" Elliot's concern was real.  
  
"I don't know, El. I've waited all my life for someone like Alex to come along. Now that I've got her I don't want to let go. Casey's a nice person and I don't want to hurt her." Olivia's voice wavered slightly at the thought of the ADA's reaction.  
  
Elliot could only guess just how much his partner struggled inside. All he wanted was for Olivia to be happy, and if there was anything that he could do to help, he would. "Liv, you deserve Alex. Look how happy you are when you're with her. Tell Novak the truth. She deserves that much."  
  
Olivia knew Elliot liked Casey. Besides Olivia, her partner was probably the only one in the squad that was close to the young ADA. Despite their friendship, Casey hasn't once mention to Elliot about her relationship with Olivia. Before she could say anything, Alex came back into the living room announcing that dinner was ready.  
  
The rest of the night went by quickly, and before they knew it, it was almost midnight. Olivia stifled a yawn but Alex saw it immediately. She had noticed the fatigue in the detective's eyes earlier during dinner, but decided not to say anything about it. As all four adults traded goodbyes, Lizzie tugged at Olivia's shirt. She knelt down to look at the little angel.  
  
"Yes honey?" Olivia's voice was gentle. Lizzie leaned in closer to whisper something into Olivia's ear. "Tell you what, if your daddy and mommy says ok then I'll take you out. How's that sound?"  
  
The little girl ran off to look for her mom. As Alex headed out of the door Elliot stopped her.   
  
"I'm really glad you're back, Alex."   
  
"So am I, Elliot."  
  
Both women remained silent throughout the journey home. Neither spoke a word to the other when they got to Olivia's apartment. Alex headed to the bathroom to wash up while Olivia was at her workstation screening her voice messages. Both knew Olivia had to deal with Casey sooner or later, but neither wanted to talk about it. It was still too soon. They chose instead to be contented in the fact that when the sun comes up tomorrow the other would still be lying next to them, asleep in their arms.  
  
"Good night, my dear," Olivia said as she gently kissed Alex's forehead. She fell asleep with the blonde in her arms, knowing that Alex was back safely. And that was all that mattered to Olivia. 


End file.
